Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to disk drive systems and to read/write elements and slider devices within the systems.
Magnetic storage systems typically include a rotatable magnetic disk having concentric data tracks defined for storing data, and a magnetic recording head or transducer for reading data from and writing data to the various data tracks. In typical disk drive systems, a stack of one or more magnetic disks is mounted over a spindle on a drive motor. The system also includes a head actuator for moving the magnetic recording head relative to the disk surfaces, and electronic circuitry for processing signals to implement various functions of the disk drive.
The head is attached to a carrier or slider having an air bearing surface which is supported during operation adjacent to the data surface of the disk by a cushion of air generated by the rotating disk. The terms xe2x80x9cheadxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csliderxe2x80x9d are sometimes both used to refer to the slider having a head attached thereon. The slider design affects the efficiency, density, speed and accuracy with which the data can be read and written to the disk. Recording density generally depends on the separation distance between the recording element of the head and the disk. As a result, lower flying heights are usually desired to achieve high areal density recording. Lower flying heights, however, can lead to undesirable interactions between the head and the disk.
As the disk generally includes a hard carbon coating, the slider is typically fabricated from a hard ceramic material so that any interactions between the disk and air bearing surface of the slider will not result in premature wear or breakage of the slider. In addition, the slider material should be relatively inert so that no chemical reactions take place on the air bearing surface. As illustrated in FIG. 1, sliders are usually derived from a wafer 100 made from a ceramic material such as a mixture of aluminun oxide (Al2O3) and titanium carbide (TiC). The components of each read/write device are formed or deposited on a surface 12 of the wafer 10 and the wafer 10 is diced into rows such as row 20 illustrated in FIG. 2. The row 20 has an end surface 12 having the read/write device and a row face that is processed, usually by polishing and/or etching, to form an air bearing surface 22. The row 20 is then diced into individual sliders 30 having an air bearing surface 22 and a read/write device surface 12 on which the read/write device is preferably located at a central position 32, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
Fabricating a slider from silicon presents problems because silicon is relatively soft when compared with slider materials such as Al2O3/TiC. This can lead to durability problems. In addition, silicon displays undesirable start/stop behavior on a disk when compared with other materials.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to disk drive systems and components therein, including sliders and read/write elements thereon.
One embodiment includes a slider structure including a silicon body having an air bearing surface. The air bearing surface includes a silicon surface region and a metal carbide surface region. The metal carbide surface region is a part of a metal carbide structure embedded in the silicon body.
Another embodiment includes a slider having a silicon body and at least one pad structure embedded therein. At least one head structure for reading and/or writing data is located on the silicon body. The silicon body includes an air bearing surface on which the head is located. The air bearing surface also includes at least a portion of the pad structure thereon.
Still another embodiment includes a disk drive for reading and writing disks. The disk drive includes at least one disk and a read/write head associated with the surface of the disk. The disk drive includes a slider onto which the read/write head is provided. The slider includes a silicon body and an air bearing surface on the silicon body. The air bearing surface includes a silicon surface region and a metal carbide surface region, with the metal carbide surface including a portion of the at least one carbide structure embedded in the silicon body. The disk drive also includes an actuator for supporting the slider and positioning the head across the disk, as well as a rotatable hub for mounting the disk.
Embodiments also relate to methods for forming an air bearing surface on a slider. One such embodiment includes providing a silicon slider body and forming at least one trench on a portion of one side of the silicon body. A carbide or nitride structure is formed in the trench. Preferably the air bearing surface includes both a portion of the silicon body and a portion of the carbide structure. Certain embodiments may also include forming at least one of a read element and a write element on the air bearing surface after forming the carbide or nitride structure.
In one aspect of certain embodiments, a carbide structure may be formed by a process including filling the trench with a metal carbide and anhydrous metal chloride material and heating the material to produce a melt. The material is then cooled and the chloride material formed from the melt is removed. Preferably the remaining carbide material is then planarized.
Still another embodiment relates to a method for forming a slider including forming at least one trench into a silicon body and forming an air bearing surface pad structure in the trench that extends to a position at or above the silicon body. A read/write head is then formed on the silicon body after forming the air bearing surface pad structure.